Ranking Programs

[hadiputri]

Hi,
I am an IMG and I just had my FM interview. If you are not familiar with the IMG interview process, we get 1 combined interview from all the 6 Onatrio FM programs. I also have a psychiatry interview scheduled soon. I was wondering, when making my ROL, should I rank the programs I interview at as 1&2 and then rank the other ontario FM programs that did not interview me. It is a very confusing situation, because they say that even though I might have interviewed at UOT for example, I'm not being interviewed by that specific program and it is a combined interview. Also all Ontario FM programs have different criteria for applicant selection. How to tackle this ROL then, please advise!

Thanks.

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[pattycanuck]

Hi,
I am an IMG and I just had my FM interview. If you are not familiar with the IMG interview process, we get 1 combined interview from all the 6 Onatrio FM programs. I also have a psychiatry interview scheduled soon. I was wondering, when making my ROL, should I rank the programs I interview at as 1&2 and then rank the other ontario FM programs that did not interview me. It is a very confusing situation, because they say that even though I might have interviewed at UOT for example, I'm not being interviewed by that specific program and it is a combined interview. Also all Ontario FM programs have different criteria for applicant selection. How to tackle this ROL then, please advise!

Thanks.

Rule of thumb (Canadian and IMG applicants): choose where you want to go, not where you "think" you'll get in.

Even though the emphasis in each interview is different (less competition in the Canadian interviews and obviously more in the IMG pool), choose where you want to do well/have fun and not suffer - it is an algorithm and you really don't know what everyone else is getting on their overall evaluation/mark (interview plus paperwork).

Different criteria for each university - yes. From there each university will weigh the scores of each question/criteria based on what they deem as more important. For example, some programs will weight the personal letter more and thus your raw personal letter score is multiplied with that weight. Then all of the adjusted marks are added to give your overall score.

Bias in you as a candidate who interviewed at the same spot where they want into a program is not correct - your marks will be swayed by how you answered the questions on basis of that performance and in conjunction with the data you have supplied with your CaRMS application. As you may recall in the questions, none of them were specific about any university.

I say this as a resident who has interviewed both Canadians and IMGs for FM these past two weeks. We are not allowed to give extra marks for candidates who even express interest in our program AND if they interviewed there as well.

Good luck!
PC

 

[markdc]

What if you find all locations equal and just want to rank according to best likelihood of matching?

 

[pattycanuck]

What if you find all locations equal and just want to rank according to best likelihood of matching?

If the above is true, then go to the CaRMS program pages and see what each program wants. Then determine how your interview went. Finally, "score yourself" in BOTH your interview and your written/submitted application with LORs/CVs/PLs/etc. - chances are that scoring yourself is the hardest thing to do as you don't know how we (the few of us interviewers/applications reviewers who were privy to your information) have marked your interview/application. Likewise, you do not know how each program will weigh each facet of your written component of your application (as above) or each question that was asked in the interview.

Do this for each of the six Ontario FM programs. More masochism for yourself to do it if done for all the programs I think.

Again, everyone has their choices for certain programs, be it family, history with the area, etc. You do not know how many want that program and for what reasons. As far as you should be concerned, everyone wants a spot and will go wherever they can get in, suffer in the place for 2-3 years, then go and practice on their Ontario return of service contract.

With the amount of people we interviewed at our site alone (a detail I will not be able to divulge), it will be competitive enough here and at the other 5 sites on the same level/intensity. The vast majority of interviewees alone were very well qualified - ranging from new grads with Canadian electives to out of practice, well qualified grads with loads of recent Canadian clinical experience.

Therefore as I said, your best bet is to choose where you think you want to go.

***If you do not get a spot in the first iteration of CaRMS, await the second round where the majority of IMGs get their residency spots.

Again, good luck.

PC

 

[hadiputri]

Thank you pattycanuck for your answer. This is the first time that I have been able to get a wise, comprehensive insight into the whole ranking dilemma. I will keep in mind all the points you mentioned while making my ROL.
Many thanks.👍